This invention relates generally to an imaging system, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for use of the imaging system in medical intervention procedure planning.
Medical diagnostic and imaging systems are present in modern health care facilities. Such systems provide invaluable tools for identifying, diagnosing and treating physical conditions and greatly reduce the need for surgical diagnostic intervention. In many instances, final diagnosis and treatment proceed only after an attending physician or radiologist has complemented conventional examinations with detailed images of relevant areas and tissues via one or more imaging modalities.
Medical diagnosis and treatment can also be performed by using an interventional procedure such as congestive heart failure (CHF) intervention. It is estimated that approximately 6–7 million people in the United States and Europe have CHF. Some patients with CHF also experience left bundle branch block (LBBB), which negatively impacts the electrical conduction system of the heart. In patients with CHF and LBBB, delayed left ventricular ejection results from delayed ventricular depolarization, and in the presence of LBBB, ventricular contraction is asymmetrical, which causes ineffective contraction of the left ventricle. Cardiac resynchronization therapy, where both the right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) are paced simultaneously, has been shown to be effective in improving symptons in patients with CHF and LBBB. One current clinical treatment for this condition is interventional bi-ventricular pacing, which involves: positioning RV and right atrial (RA) leads, positioning a sheath in the coronary sinus (CS), performing a CS angiogram to delineate a suitable branch for the LV lead placement, placing the lead for LV pacing in the posterior or lateral branches of the CS, and applying pacing signals to the RV and LV leads to simultaneously pace the RV and LV for synchronization.
Interventional bi-ventricular pacing therapy may involve a lengthy procedure, may result in unsuccessful lead placement in the CS due to the CS anatomy, or the lead itself may dislodge from the CS. In most cases, these situations are identified only at the time of the interventional procedure, resulting in abandonment of the procedure or the scheduling of a second procedure where, using a surgical incision, the LV lead is placed epicardially.